ONE SPARE TIRE TO GO, PLEASE!

BMW was not the only one today who reminded me about tires, except their call was to put on the winter ones.  My call to myself was to get rid of the spare tire around the middle.  I am tired today.  Granted it is late afternoon and one could call it the midday slump but I believe it is starting the day with carbs and then craving them all day.  I had a healthy breakfast of Fibre One, raspberries and skim milk.  It wasn't even lunch time and I was craving an oatmeal raisin cookie and then potato chips.  Sometimes you have to backup and regroup. 

I just happen to read something on fighting hunger pains with protein. I remember that and it could be my secret weapon.  I know that protein keeps you feeling full longer than carbs or fat.  A new study supports this idea:  Researchers from the University of Sydney found that people who ate a diet of 10% protein reported feeling hungrier and ate 12% more calories throughout the day, mostly from mindless snacking, than those eating a 15% protein diet. 

The fact is protein is the building block of muscle and more calories are required to maintain muscle than to preserve fat, which means muscle helps boost your metabolism.  The bonus is foods rich in protein are also filled with zinc and B vitamins, both of which strengthen your immune system to help ward off colds and flu.  So maybe, instead of Fibre One with raspberries, I should have eaten low-fat cottage cheese with raspberries. 

Everybody has their own favourite grab-and-go proteins at Weight Watchers.  A few of the ladies love low-fat beef or turkey jerky.  I haven't tried that.  If I delve back into the furthermost corner of my brain, I would have to say mine would be cheese strings and hard-boiled eggs, both of which are low in points and pack a power punch of energy.  I am thinking it has be for single-fisted consumption so I can drive a car at the same time.  Let's face it, a steak or a piece of chicken is messy.  I am smiling to myself thinking about the car passing in the other direction watching me with a chicken leg or steak in my mouth.  What a funny sight that would be.

Anyway, I am glad I wrote this down. It is a reminder to myself that protein is a dieter's best friend for helping to get rid of that spare tire.